Alarm-clock and attachment therefor.



' J. STEWART.

' ALARM CLOCK AND ATTACHMENT THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21, 1914.

1,217,523. Patented Feb. 27, 1917,

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- Fig 3 J. STEWART. ALARM CLOCK AND MTACHMENT THEREFOR.

APPLICATION mm OCT. 21. 1914.

1,217,523. I Patented Feb. 27, 1911 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JACKSON STEWART, OF NORTH GEELONG, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

ALARM-CLOCK AND ATTACHMENT THEREFOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1917.

Application filed October 21, 1914. Serial No. 887,887.

To all whom it may concern.

lie it known that I, JACKSON STEWART, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, do, residing at North Geelong, in the State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Alarm-Clocks and rittachments Therefor; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it apperl'ains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to alarm clocks and attachments having pointers. One clock hand or the other will overlap and contact with each pointer and then escape past it. Each pointer has electrical connection with a contact ring on the clock. To that ring and to the clock hands, there are such connections that a bell ringing circuit will be com pleted. through a switch and a pointer on the occasion of a contact by a hand as aforesaid.

Any suitable electric power can be used. Small. cheap electric cells can be used for example capable of causing alarm ringing of an average duration of half a minute, say for an verage of a times a day during 6 months or more. At any appropriate time the user can replenish the cell or cells. The clock can be of any suitable kind. The at tachments can be set around the clock dial at points indicating times when alarms are to sound. Particular attachments or their pointers can be colored, numbered,shaped or marked at will, and have means (not claimed to be new) for attaching memoranda or articles to be given attention. To prevent ringing when alarms are not required (as in a closed oilice at night) and without removing the alarm attachments also to, at any time, economize electric current, a switch may be opened. I may provide a protective casing, to cover the attachments, preferably with space for the electric cell or cells, and a reserve cell or cells and reserve attachments. There are known inventions having the general features stated, with which my devices have parts in common, but I introduce new and improved arrangements, about to be explained.

The clock user might desire to produce immediate ringing by manipulation. Known clocks can be made to cause such ringing by shifting the clock hands or the alarm pointer, but these methods are objectionable.

I provide for obtaining such ringings by a plunger to be pressed, and the plunger also acts as a cell testing means. I aim to enable fairly small and cheap clocks to be used, as these are now in favor for o'liice tables and most apartments; yet I aim at these yielding alarms at very short iiitermls, and not being limited to, say, a ten or fifteen minute interval. 7

I provide also for the user who wants either long, short, or intermittent alarm ringing, and who decides (in advance of all the alarms) how each alarm is to be sounded at the time wantedand without the clock being adjusted between one alarm and the next. I can adjust my attachment to vary the length of ringing it will cause, before or after it is set on the clock, and in the latter case without so displacing its pointer as to alter the time when ringing will occur. The contact of the clock hand and my pointer does not cause the hand to take unduly long to pass the pointer, and the overlapping parts are not required to be suringy.

The tips of my pointer may be m vable as by descending or rising to allow the clock hand meeting it to pass over or under it; or it may yield a little in front of the clock hand tip under the pressure of the latter and then be passed by the said hand tip. A pointer set in the minute hand path can cause 24: alarms daily. A pointer set in the hour hand path can cause 2 alarms in 2% hours; by utilizing both forms of pointer simultaneously, a series of results can be arranged which will suit some users better than by using pointers contacting with one clock hand only.

An ordinary alarm clock yields the same sounds at different hours, unless, between the alarms, the ringing mechanism is regualted; but I provide for variations of the sound of different kinds, to convey a variety of meanings; and when persons note these differences, each person may know on which alarms to act, and of which to take no notice; or a hearer may proceed to do some particular thing or other, according to the particular alarm he hears.

Suppose a person, A,had to receive an alarm every 20 minutes, and another person, B, at the end of minutes past ever fourth hour (as might be the case in a post ofiiee) it would suflice to set 3 of my alarm attachments for each person,As to connect with the minute hand,and Bs with the hour hand; each attachment could be made to produce a distinctive ringing, or each of As alarms could be made to sound one way, and each of Bs another way. Thus As might be brief intermittent rings, and Bs be continuous longer rings.

in the accompanying drawings, devices i may use are illustrated, including some details not yet mentioned.

Figure l is a front view of part of an alarm clock, ready for action with an outer casing partly in section and partly broken away, and Fig. 2 is a plan partly in heri- Zontal section. figs. 3 to 8 are on a larger scale than Figs. 1 to 2. Figs. 3 and l show in front view t c tip end of a modified attachment. Fig. 0 1s a front view of a triple tipped attachment, the pointer of which has a vertical movement. Fig. 6 is a plan view of an attachment, and with other parts in section showing how it is held in position. Fig. 7 is an end view of an attachment. Fig. 8 shows a side view, partly sectional, of part of the clock with a plunger and a switch; and Figs. 9 to i l show modified details. In Fig. l the attachment that is located on the left has its back r facing the obs rver. in this position the attachment is simply stored out of electrical contact position (clearly shown at r at the right of Fig. 2). In this manner some of them ma conveniently be kept out of use. he outer casing shown has a back Z1 outer pe rimeter 32 a front 6 glass Z)", and hinge F, but these are not essentials. In some cases I make part of the casing front opaque to mask all, or parts of the pointers, as when only the tips of the latter are visible they will not be likely to confuse strangers.

f indicates a source of electric power, as a dry or other cell or battery, and preferably thcre in the out-er casing a spare or emergency cell. available. I provide as on a support 9 insulated. from clock a, a pivoted switch 9 which when oil prevents completion of any ringing circuit. The switch may have a suitable top pointer adjustable from outside the casing to point to such phrases as for alarms, or for silence, which may be printed on the casing. 9* is insulation lining the slot in b in cases in which the top part or pointer 9 projects. There may be a fork for the switch end to enter to insure its making the required contact.

Member 6 is a wire from a cell. terminal to a bell terminal, and from the other bell terminal a wire (2 extends to the clock a so as to put the cell in electrical communication with the clock hands. Dotted lines in Fig. 1. show the off position of the switch. The switch could be supported if desired from casing The switch when on is in contact with a metal conductor (6 which is a ring fixed on av ring of insulating material re which extends around the metal clock. 9 is a wire leading from the cell to the switch support the insulation being 9. "Wire 5/ thus connects the cell with ring (4 The break between that ring and the clock is bridged when and where one of my pointers acts as a connection.

The front of ring a? is used as a division marked rim, or I add such a rim, (Z, which may allow of being written on in pencil, and of erasures of such writing. This rim may be level with, below, or above the ordinary clock dial, and may be a fixed, or a removable and interchangeable one; it may bear alarm explaining words or signs to suit any intended application of the invention. Such words could for example state appointments; or train, postal, or program times; or duties, and so on. Generally I have a fixed rim (Z indicating time divi sions as shown at part of Fig. 1, each unit division indicating 3 minutes, but as there are 720 minutes on a 12 hour clock face so far as the hour hand is concerned, I may provide any suitable divisor of 720 divisions, or where space renders it possible I may provide 720 or more divisions, that is the number of divisions shown can be made v to suit the user.

if the circumference of the rim of the customary alarm clocks is very small, the divisions must be made very close together if pointers are to be set to one, two, or three minute divisions, but to be able to secure an alarm at about one minute of the time predetermined is a matter of importance to many persons. A clock the alarms of which could not with certainty when worked from an hour hand, ring at less than 5 minute periods would not satisfy some users. With my invention if the rim divisions (however close) can be distinguished by sight, they can be used to set my attaclnnents, and the latter can even be set to subdivide the spaces between the rim markings.

In the part a I show a groove 0 and in this groove an insulation ring 0 is preferably fitted as a member on which to setthe attachments. The latter have each a vulcanite or like body 9, on which is mounted a pointer p having a contact making tip 29 The attachment also has a spring loop or arm 9* which fits firmly between the ring 0 and the ring (4 I make the ring 0 revoluble in some cases, and may provide it with any suitable handle. Thus 25 is a nut screwed on a stud t the base of which is secured to ring 0. Then if only one alarm attachment is in use, instead of. removing it to reset it, it can be reset by the revolution of ring 0 as the arm 1" of the attachment continues in electrical connection with the ring c But the ring 0 is fixable against rotation, as by screwing down the nut t on the stud t which is shown partly under a saddle t of insulation material. This saddle is loose over ring a until the nut t is screwed down.

The hour hand it carries, as at the end of a forked shank 2', a contact tip y' which is adapted to glide above the rim (Z. This shank and its tip are made less conspicuous than the hand it, as by being of other color and narrow. A direct prolongation of the hour hand (making that hand look so like the minute hand as to deceive) is not pre ferred, but where deception can otherwise be avoided it is not essential to adopt the fork.

The minute hand 00 is in some cases prolonged as at 3/ in Fig. 2, and kept clear of the path required by the hour hand and its tip, and of the spaces occupied by the pointers which the tip is to meet. Pointers for the hand 00 will be set out of the range of tip thus they overlap the rim (Z for a reduced distance radially, and they have parts high enough to be in the path of the minute hand tip 3 though some users would not need the minute hand part of the invention at all.

The pointers are of any suitable conducting material or combination of materials, pivoted or the like to the attachment bodies. The pivoted parts may be in a casing having sides 0 (shown in section in Figs. 8 and a and a top 0 The pointers have narrow tips to be set in the path of a clock hand contact tip. The latter meets the pointer, then by its pressure slightly deflects it downwardly, upwardly, or forwardly, according to the construction, and finally moves on clear of the pointer tip. The tips 22' differ from the tip 7/ in Fig. 1; tips 79 are located as shown so that they can be set close together not withstanding the thickness of the bodies 9; and although some users will not require such tips, others will find them valuable. Tips 79 p p are also special ones further explained later. They are not so frequently required as plain tips 29 Each pointer has a part normally under the pressure of a suitable spring, as s, to insure that the pointer shall be normally in contact with an end p of a connection integral with or extending to the clip 1", so that there will always be electrical connection from the tip 79 to the part (1}.

To vary the pointer tip resistance to the pressure of the clock hand contact tip, I provide means as a screw p in any suitable position,shown at one side of the attachment in Figs. 1 to 2, and shown in front in Figs. 5 to 7. The pointer can be made to deflect under very slight pressure of part j, whereupon the duration of pointer contact with the stop will be specially brief, and can be made to terminate even a quarter of a minute or less after the bell ringing circuit.

has been established. Such a short alarm is much more convenient to many persons than a long alarm would be. If the regulating means is set to hold the pointer spring down more firmly, then the alarm bell will ring longer. The greater the pressure of the spring is to prevent part 79 from moving when part j presses part p c. e. the stronger the spring is selected, the longer will be the contact between 7' and 79 and therefore a signal of longer duration will be given than a signal that is given when a weaker spring is used making only a passing contact of short duration between and p In most mechanisms of this class the hour hand owing to its very slow movement causes unduly prolonged ringing, which is wasteful of clec tric current and annoying to hearers also.

The tips of the pointers have fiat unoer faces facing the rim (Z as in Figs. 1 and 2 and have beveled edges to be met by the tip 7', the latter also has a beveled edge so that after slightly deflecting the pointer tip it will pass over the latter without deflecting the pointer far, and comparatively speedily, but not as soon as the alarm bell ceases. As soon as the d'cfiected pointer is clear of part j it resumes its normal set position ready to produce another alarm. In part of Fig. 1 and in Fig. 5, I show pointers each having several limbs Q), 72 p and by predetermining the spaces between these limbs I proride for producing alarms at different intervals, without causing the user the trouble of having to set more than one pointer, or being liable to err in trying to space different attachments apart to secure those time intervals which limbs as p", 79*, and p can provide for exactly. My multiple alarm pointers will in appropriate cases be marked to explain their action; the distance between their limbs is therefore not necessarily uniform. Such pointers enable clocks having short rims (Z to be used for ringing at short intervals, although the space would not admit of separate pointers being set close enough together for that purpose, since the bodies on which the pointers are mounted are necessarily thicker than the pointers tips need be, or as shown in Figs. 3 and =1 the pointers can be specially shaped. As shown in these figures, the two tips t are closer to one another than if the parts 2) were each in produced in a straight line, as on the righthand side of Fig. 1. Consequently, if two different, 2'. 0., successive alarms have to be very near to one another in time, the two ends p can be set very close to each other as one is bent downwardly and the other upwardly.

In Fig. 9 an attachment 79 is illustrated in modified form, set on part 0 (see Fig. 6)

but without a body 9 (which could however be used at will) and without a regulating screw 7)". This attachment from the extremity p to the end 1' can be one piece of metal. It has any desired number of tips p each in the path of part y on the minute iii) hand. The tips p appear in Fig. 10 in end view, with inclined surfaces which allow the hand tip 3 to meet and then to pass over them. As the minute hand travels comparatively fast it is practicable to use attachments which have no part to break contact with a conductor to ring a. Tips 79 will cause a short ringing repeated at short intervals,

Fig. 11 illustrates in section parts of the attachment in Fig. 6, with modifications to regulate the ringing effects. Thus 79 is an adjustable member, as a screw, in electrical contact with the part 72 and so placed that shortly after the part 7) breaks contact with the part 12 the bell ringing ceasing as already explained, the said part P will meet the part and thus cause the ringing to be repeated. This second ringing will cease when the clock hand tip has left the pointer tip, such as 72 These double ringing efiects are not limited to cases in which an adjustable member as 9 is used; thus in Fig. 1% (which illustrates the end of an attachment in transverse section), the conducting member p has a fixed rectangular top with part g) normally meeting one side, but adapted after being defl cted from that side to move into contact with the other side and repeat the ringing.

The electrical connection of any part of the clock or the outer casing with any part of the ring a will cause alarm ringing. T utilize this fact to provide a plunger m which is normally kept out of action, that is not making such a connection, as by a spring 997?. The plunger top is in any convenient position as projecting through an aperture in casing l). The plunge foot can be caused to complete the circuit by being depressed to meet a contact plate as 71-, extending from the ring a Part 5 is in electrical contact with the clock a. Whether the circuit testing and alarm giving plunger completes the circuit by connecting the parts 6 and n or is modilied to do so, by connecting parts a and a is immaterial. The clock glass 5 can at will be omitted, and at will the front of tie casing can be made removable or openable otherwise than by having the hinge 5 The device operates in the following manner:

If an alarm is to be given, for instance, every ten minutes and another alarm at the end of five minutes past every fourth hour, for each of the alarms three attachments are to be set, one set to connect with the minute hand and the other with the hour hand of the clock. By means of the screw 72 the pointer for the minute hand can be made to deflect under very slight pressure of part j and therefore, the duration of contact between the pointer and the stop 72 will be brief after the bell ringing circuit has been established, while the hour hand according to its slow movement will eiiect or cause a longer ringing so that both signals can easily be distinguished from each other.

Having described this invention, what is claimed by Letters Patent is In an electric alarm clock having a bell and a rim to indicate matter relative to alarms, in combination, a clock hand with a tip to move over said rim, time divisions on said rim, an insulated conducting ring, a member forming a support for alarm attachments, a plurality of said attachments, a pointer for each of said attachments projecting over the rim in the path of a clock hand tip, a conducting member on said attaclr ments extending to said conducting ring, said pointer normally touching said conducting member from which pressure of the clock hand tip will separate the pointer, and means for returning the pointer into its normal position after the passage of the clock hand tip, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

JACKSON STEWART.

Witnesses GEORGE G. Tonal, BEATRICE M. Lows.

Copies or this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

